Mount Gambier racing sensation Kai Allen will switch lanes next year, making the jump from the Dunlop Super3 Series to Dunlop Super2 Series.
The development series sits just below the main game Repco Supercars Championship and is a valuable stepping stone in driver development for young motorists such as Allen.
The up and comer is already smashing goals in his motorsport career, having earnt the most pole positions ever in Super3, qualifying in nine out of 10 pole positions this year.
The Eggleston Motorsport driver said he was excited to move up a class in the development series.
“This year’s been a great learning year. I have learnt so much and had a great time so I’m really excited to go to that next step and see how I go,” he said.
“(I have) been racing against some of the Super2 guys in my Super3 car, so it’s been a great experience.
“I really want to push hard and make sure I do whatever I can to guarantee a spot in the main game series.
“It starts off with all the preparation and that kind of stuff so making sure that I am fit, and everything will be the main goal and making sure I am doing all my homework before the races, so I have definitely got to step up now.
“Super3 was just sort of a learning year this year, but I really got to step up and race against the big boys, so I’m very, very excited and I cannot wait.
“It’s gonna be great.”
Allen, 17, has been busy test driving the car he will pilot next year, which is one of two Holden ZB Commodores owned by Team 18.
Eggleston Motorsport will purchase the Triple-Eight built Supercars at the end of the 2022 Supercar season.
The Supercars are Mark Winterbottom’s #18 IRWIN Racing Holden Commodore which he drove at the The Bend SuperSprint and celebrated his 500th consecutive race start and Scott Pye’s #20 Nulon Racing Holden ZB Commodore.
“I am testing them with Team 18 on a ride day, so they take passengers for laps and also it’s good for me to get some laps before next year,” Allen said.
“So (the main game vehicles) come down to Super2 and then the main game get new cars, which is pretty exciting.
“We’ll get to do some laps in those and then they will get basically handed over at the end of the year and then we get to race them next year.
“I have done it before, so all I need to do is learn a new car and go out there and do the best I can which is pretty cool, so I’m excited for that.”
Allen started his career in the Hyundai Excel series before progressing to a Toyota 86 halfway through last year and is currently racing a Holden VE Commodore.
He will be competing in the VALO Adelaide 500 on December 1-4 where he is currently leading the Super3 Series championship.
Allen said it would be his first-time racing on the Adelaide hybrid circuit.
“I have never raced on an Adelaide circuit before so I have got to do a lot of homework, watching on-board footage and all that kind of stuff of other people, learning as much as I can before I get there,” he said.
“It’s almost my home race so I’m pretty excited and I cannot wait to just go out there and do the best I can.
“Brad Vaughn is coming second in the Series3 championship, he has been pushing me all year. We have both been pushing each other so it’s really going to come down to the best man wins on the day.
“I have got to prepare as much as I can to make sure I’m ready and I’m sure the team has got the car on point, so I have got to go out there and perform, and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I have got a good team behind me with Eggleston Motorsport, Ben and Rachel run a good operation there.
“I’m sure we will do the best we can at Adelaide and see how we end up in the championship, but this year is just a learning year so whatever happens, happens.”
Allen raced on the world-renowned Mount Panorama circuit last weekend in the Bathurst Sportscar Challenge as part of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.
Allen drove Pilatus Australia chief executive officer Sebastian Lip’s Radical SR10 and was crewed by Jam Motorsport for the non-championship round of the Australian Prototype Series.
He was victorious in race 1 which was cut short due to the rain, also posting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 2:07.5 and finishing third in race 2 to win first place overall in the Australian Prototype Series category.
“That was a bit of a fun race, so it was pretty cool,” he said.
“It’s a lot different to my Super3. It’s basically an open wheel style car so compared to the Super3 it’s got a lot more grip because of the big wings on it and all that kind of stuff with all the aerodynamics.
“It’s cool to get laps of Bathurst. It’s very rare you get to go on the track.
“It was just a bit of a fun weekend, nothing serious, I just went out there and enjoyed it and got some laps around (the circuit).
“I had a lot of fun and I’m really thankful for the opportunity that Seb and the Jam Motorsport crew gave me.
“This year I have done the best I could, I had a great car the Eggleston Motorsport team gave me, I have gone out there and ended up with some records which is a bonus and hopefully we can walk away with a championship which will be another thing to tick off the bucket list.”